Now that the novelty of cooking for yourself has gotten old and the joys of inhaling mysterious dorm food has worn off, look no further than that magical box of radiation-filled goodness, the microwave.
Although the microwave has been commonly associated with defrosting and reheating foods, besides the mini-fridge it may just be the best college student gadget available, capable of much more than heating the student food staple, ramen noodles.
While it doesn't take a rocket scientist to grasp the basic workings of the microwave or pop in a frozen dinner, it may take some good old fashioned elbow grease to crank out a nutritious meal.
While most UW-Madison students probably spent countless hours staring into the microwave pondering the inner workings, fear not'the type of energy utilized in a microwave will not give you a brain tumor. (And we thought Mom was serious!) In fact, microwave ovens use various combinations of electrical circuits and mechanical devices to produce and control an output of microwave energy for heating and cooking.
Microwaves are very short waves of electromagnetic energy that travel at the speed of light, 186,282 miles per second. Microwaves used in microwave ovens are in the same family of frequencies as the signals used in radio and television broadcasting.
Microwaves are capable of passing through glass, paper and plastic where they are absorbed by the food product. Metal, on the other hand, reflects microwaves, so keep those Chinese take-out boxes with the metal handles out of there unless you want charred fried rice.
Whether or not the medium used for cooking affects the taste, we'll never know. UW-Madison junior and dietetics major Michelle Flatt was quick to comment regarding microwave cooking.
\I don't use it religiously because I'm still skeptical,"" she said. ""Things just taste a little bit different.""
Taste is always a crucial factor in any type of cooking. Another essential is the quality of product available. Because convenient meals have become all the rage on campus, there is a myriad of microwaveable TV dinners on the market.
Many students, especially those oppressed by the exotic rarities produced in the campus cafeterias, rely heavily on their microwaves as a primary cooking mechanism, so a panel of five students tasted and evaluated several popular microwaveable meals.
Based on the votes of the panel, the Hungry Man TV dinner was the tastiest and the item all the panelists would eat again. Amy Roanhaus, a UW-Madison sophomore, said she really enjoyed ""the corn. You can't mess up corn, no matter how hard you try. My hat's off to you, Stouffer's, for finally making something that's microwavable and fit for human consumption.""
If frozen or prepackaged items are not your bag, you may consider cooking from scratch in your microwave. While many of us don't cook much more than bacon and Spaghetti-O's in the microwave, apparently 85 percent of all conventional recipes will convert successfully to microwave use. You can make all of those home-cooked favorites right from the convenience of a dorm room or apartment microwave oven.
A few guidelines to remember when tackling a recipe conversion in the microwave:
1. Butters and oils normally needed to saut?? foods conventionally are not needed when foods are cooked in the microwave. Instead, if a butter flavor is desired, add a small amount after cooking and the flavor will be absorbed by the food during standing time.
2. Less spices and herbs are needed in foods which are cooked in the microwave. Flavors will remain more intense than in foods cooked conventionally. Therefore, reduce the amount called for in conventional recipes by 20 to 25 percent.
3. The least ""rich"" liquid ingredient (such as water) in a conventional recipe may be reduced by 20 to 25 percent when cooking the dish in the microwave. As there is no dry heat, the extra liquid will not evaporate and is not needed.
4. Foods such as soup, which have a high liquid content, take longer to cook than foods which cook from their own moisture content. Liquid ingredients slow down cooking.
While microwave ovens may not produce elaborate twelve course dinners, many students find them convenient, quick and easy. UW-Madison freshman Jack Steiner went so far as to say, ""I love my microwave so much that spending time with it has become a substitute for human interaction."" From ramen noodles to frozen dinners and to homemade favorites, the microwave boasts abilities in cooking of all capacities, and in some cases, a replacement for human contact.
1 cup potatoes, scrubbed and sliced
1/2 cup sliced peeled carrot
1 cup sliced green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons water
1 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup julienne seeded red bell pepper
1 cup diced tofu, firm, drained
13 fluid ounces coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Arrange potatoes around the bottom edge of a microwave-safe nine-inch square dish. Arrange carrots in an inner ring, filling the center with green beans. Add water, cover and microwave on high for five minutes. Scatter broccoli and red bell pepper over top; microwave on high for four minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add tofu, cover and set aside. Combine coconut milk, curry powder, green pepper and salt. Microwave on high for four to five minutes or until hot, but not boiling. Pour over the vegetables, cover and microwave on high for two minutes or until the vegetables are hot. Serves six.
1 3/4 pounds boneless beef sirloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 whole onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon browning powder, optional
2/3 cup catsup
1/4 cup beef bouillon
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup water
Place meat, onion and garlic in 2-quart casserole in circle fashion. Dampen and sprinkle with browning powder. Cover and cook at 100 percent power for four to six minutes. Rearrange once, sprinkle with more browning powder, and cook additional four to five minutes until meat is nearly done. Drain juices and set meat aside. In four-cup microwave measure, whisk flour and water thoroughly. Add catsup, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and spices, whisking well. Heat at 100 percent power for four to six minutes until bubbling and thickened, stirring once or twice. Stir into meat and heat at 50 percent power for 10 to 15 minutes until very hot throughout. Serve over buttered noodles.
1 stick butter
4 ounces (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans/walnuts
1 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour (sifted)
1/2 teaspone baking powder
Line an eight by eight glass baking dish with buttered wax paper. Break chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl with the butter. Cook in microwave on high for three minutes, until the chocolate has completely melted. Beat eggs and sugar together until creamy. Sift flour with salt and baking powder. Stir all ingredients together. Spread mixture evenly into baking dish. Cook for 8-1/2 minutes, rotating dish 1/4 of a turn thrice during cooking period. Cool brownies in the dish. Remove paper and cut brownies into squares. Makes 16 brownies.
